Sunday, February 17, 2019

Slide of the Month - Rainbow Loom slide


February 2018

Time to make: 15 minutes

Original design: A. C.













This design was created by one of my Scouts (who's name I can't use because he is under 18). Back story, it was memorial day and we were gathering before the parade. A.C. came to the parade wearing a slide like this one. Being a slide guy, I was fascinated by the slide and had given him several compliments about it. He admitted to me he had built it about 10 minutes before having to leave for the parade. I asked how he made it and he told me about his sisters Rainbow Loom. A few years latter, after the fad had died down, I was able to find a few deals on a loom and supplies.

This literally took about 15 minutes to learn and I had a slide ready to go. Made from dark grey, dark green and white bands, I made the strip and then tied the ends together. Quick and easy! With so many colors out there, this could be a great Cub Scout project.

Friday, February 1, 2019

Slide of the Month - Mess Kit



February 2018

Time to carve: 1 hour

Finishing: .5 hour

Boy's Life -August 1989, page 79

Design: Bill Andrews







Oh boy, when I saw this slide in my notebook I was taken back to my days as a Scout trying to clean the remnant out of the fry pan after questionably cooked hamburger. From the Second Class requirement at that time;

" 10c  . . . . cook—without utensils—a
meal from raw meat (or fish or poultry)
and at least one raw vegetable. "

I don't remember how I ever got that black charred cement like substance out but I do remember it took a long time.  I carried the official aluminum mess kit all through my Scout time and still have it less the red cover.

Carved from a 1 and a half inch dowel it's an easy tapered cut on both sides with one being more tapered at the center line. This gives the slide the look of two different pans which made up the outside of the closed mess kit. The metal fry panhandle is a piece of cardboard cut and glued to the wood. The slide is painted with a silver handicraft paint and a coat wire loop finishes it off.